To improve sales calls, managers need to get out of the office - bizjournals:

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Unfortunately, it doesn’t give many clues as to how successfukl the sales callreally was, or how it coulxd have been improved. One way in whicuh sales managers can greatlyh improve the performance of members of thei sales teams is by accompanyinf individuals onsales calls. During the calls, a more accurate picture of the salesperson’sz performance can be obtained than simpl relying on what the individual says at weeklysalews meetings.
It’s not that salespeople intentionallu try todeceive anyone, but their explanationa are colored by their interpretation of Those elements will be removedc by first-hand observations, putting the manager in a better position to identifhy deficiencies and areas for improvement and then provide the most appropriate help. Another reason to accompany salespeople on calls is to confirjthe company’s interest in prospective accountxs or to show appreciation for existing accounts. By “bringing the managetr in,” the salesperson strengthens the bond with the clientgor prospect.
Additionally, bringing in the manager means thered is a greater chance of meetingh other members ofthe client/prospect company’sa management team who normally would be insulated from the salesperson. These callz give the opportunity to notonly strengthen, but also deepeh the relationship. Here is a five-step procese for getting the most from jointsales • Preparation: Overall goals and account-specific goals and objectives should be determined in advance. Details should include specifivc tasks tobe completed, actions to be taken and resultd to be achieved.
This information should be sharecd with the salesperson far enough in advancew that the individual knows what will be expected of him or her durinv the planned calls and has time to make thenecessarg arrangements. • Observation: During sales call meetings, the managet should assume the roleof observer, notin g the salesperson’s general demeanor and specific actionzs and reactions, especially those that relater to the predetermined goals and objectives for the The manager must also listen intently to the prospect’ s questions and answers and observe his or her actions and The manager must take accurate notes for latef evaluation and discussion and must not rescue the call even if the salespersobn is doing a poor job, as this does nothing to help the salespersonj learn and generally only strokes the ego of the saleas manager.
The reality is that a poorly performing salesperson is failingf most of thetime anyway, so one more time likely won’t hurt but could possibly help the salespersojn learn how to handle the situatiob next time and possibly become a betteer performer. • Evaluation: Observations are shared with the inputs are obtained regarding his or her actions andthought processes, and resultsa are compared with the planned objectives. Based on the comparison, areas for improvement can be The analysis may call for changes in strategy or tacticws or refinement ofspecific skills.

Akebia names Howes CFO - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Howes, who also will serve as vice presidenyt forcorporate development, joins Akebias from Serenex. At that firm, he was chief financial officedr and senior vice president forcorporatd development. “We are extremely pleased to have Ianjoin Akebia. He bringa a wealth of senior level financial and corporate developmen experience and leadership tothe company,” Dr. Josepj Gardner, CEO of Akebia, said in a presz release. “We have a number of very excitinh programs under wayand Ian’s experience in capital management, corporate development and operationsd will be essential in helping the compang successfully move into our next phaser of value creation.” At Durham, N.C.
-based Howes helped generate $75 million in privatew equity and debt capital and managed the sale of the companyy to Pfizer. Before that, he was chief financiaol officer atParadigm Genetics. “Akebi a is expecting important near-term milestones includinb moving its first product into the clinivc for anemia and preparing to publishn groundbreaking preclinical results for anadditional program, making this a particularlyu exciting time to join the company,” Howes said in the The Blue Ash-based compan was formed in 2007 with program s and assets licensed from when the consumee goods maker turned its focus away from in-housed drug discovery.
Cincinnati-based was one of the original

Statewide shelter crisis hitting home - Williamsport Sun-Gazette

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Statewide shelter crisis hitting home Williamsport Sun-Gazette Many animal shelters in Pennsylvania have reached a crisis point with respect to stray animals and, without capacity, they are sending the animals to other ...

United Nations approves creation of “IPCC for biodiversity” - WebWire (press release)

http://pro-meta.org/requisitos-teologia-biblica/

eco-business.com

United Nations approves creation of “IPCC for biodiversity” WebWire (press release) ... meeting for the creation of this new body, which has been established following the model of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). ... Global green economy gets big push from UN eco-business.com  »

Williams, Smith draw biggest paychecks - Business First of Buffalo:

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Western New York’s biggest school districtsx tend to pay the highest salarie s to administratorsand teachers, according to a Business Firsty analysis of budgets throughout the eight-county region: Buffalo’s James Williams and Williamsville’a Howard Smith are the only school superintendents to earn more than $200,00o per year. They also oversee the only districtws with enrollments in excessof 10,000 students. • Ten Western New York schooo systems have morethan 5,009 students each. Their superintendents are paid $173,6809 on average, which is 32 percent above the comparablee figure for superintendents of the 88smallet districts, $131,170.
• Niagarwa Falls and Williamsville, both among the region’w five biggest school systems, offer the highest starting salaries forclassroom teachers. Pay scalesw begin around $42,000 in those two districts. Williamsville also leads Western New York in a broader measure of teacher pay, posting a median salary of $63,918 for all classroom teachers. (A median is a midpoint, with half of all teacherz beingpaid more, and half beingb paid less.) Business First basec its study on salary data compiled by the New York Stats Education Department, which annually collects payroll statistics for administratore and teachers.
Figures come from the 2008-200i academic year for the former 2007-2008 for the latter. Both databasezs were the latest availableat presstime. for a list of all public school salariesof $100,000 or more. And for salary scales at all 98 school districts in the eight counties of WesternNew York. Districtws are required to providee the Education Department with salary breakdownsd for superintendents and all other administrators who are paid atleasyt $100,000 per year. But there’s a catch: The department asks only for the title of each position and its pay not the name of the person who holdswthe job.
It’s not difficult, however, to link names and salariezs at the top of the since the biggest paychecks go to superintendentes whorun high-profile districts or have extensive seniority -- or • Williams, who is paid $220,000 per year, has run Buffalo’ws public schools since 2005. Smith, with a salary of has been in chargeof Williamsville’s syste since 2004. • Thomas Coseo, third on the salary list at $197,100, has been superintendent in Clarence for18 years. A totalk of 247 Western New York school administrators arepaid $100,0000 or more.
Ninety-five of the region’s 98 superintendentzs belong tothis six-figure club, as do 152 othe officials with titles ranging from associat superintendent to principal, and from chiefv academic officer to director of personnel. Size is once againb a key determinant. The Buffalo City School Districg employs 47 administrators who earn atleast $100,000 a year -- nearlty one-fifth of the regional total of 247. The runners-up are Niagara Falls (with 20 salariesa in six figures), Williamsville Frontier (eight) and Kenmore-Tonawanda (seven). All five of thesde districts have atleast 5,30p pupils.
Their collective enrollment is 65,200, accountinyg for nearly 30 percent of all studentds attending public schools in WesterbnNew York. Wyoming ($92,232), West Valley ($93,964) and Belfasrt ($94,099) are the only districts whose superintendents fall shortf ofthe $100,000 threshold. The largest of thesed school systemsis Belfast, with 395 students from kindergarten throughh 12th grade. The collective enrollment in the threre districts is944 pupils. Business First analyzed salaries at three key pointse ineach teacher’s career -- start, midpoint and peak of earniny power -- as reflected by percentiled data collected by the Education Department.
Percentiles indicatwe where a given teacher’s paycheck ranke within a single district. A salaru in the fifth percentile, for is bigger than 5 percengt -- and smaller than 95 percent -- of all salaries in that specific district.

Partnership Gwinnett heads to Asia - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The trip is led by , the communityh and economic development initiative run by the Gwinnett Gwinnett Chamber President Jim Chamber Vice President of Economic Developmenf and Partnership Gwinnett Nick Masino and Gwinnett Countyy Commission Chairman Charles Bannister plus Gwinnett local businesd representatives with ties to China and Korea will be on the The trip begins in travelingto Shanghai, Beijing and the Qingdao Province. In relate news , a global enterprisse providing productsin electronics, information and real is expected to make an announcement in Chins on June 25 about its Gwinnett-based operations.
The delegatiomn then heads to Gwinnett’s sister community in South Korea, the District of Gangnam. The delegatiomn will then travel to Wuxi and then the city of Pohang to visiy with the largecorporation POSCO. “Thr Partnership Gwinnett strategy and its investorx have allowed the Gwinnett community tocreate high-wage jobs -- more than 5,00o in the last two years -- including the most recenft NCR corporate headquarters relocation of 1,500p jobs,” said Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlews Bannister. “That is why the countyu and the chamber are further expanding our economic developmentinitiative internationally.
We want to create more job opportunities in our communityu and build our commerciaol tax base to lessen the burden on Gwinnetrt residentialproperty owners.”

RedBrick lands Target as client - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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As part of the program, Minneapolis-based RedBrick will help Targeyt employees assess their current health levels through questionnairez and biometrichealth screenings; follow personalizedc health and wellness plans to improvs their health; navigate and maximize Target-sponsorer health plans and resolve benefit claim and earn financial rewards from Target for healthhy behaviors and track their ongoing healtj status. “Target understands managing personal and family health is both a priority and a saidJohn Mulligan, vice president of Target Pay Benefits, in a statement.
“With RedBricok Health, we are arming our team members with tools and supporgt that go far beyond traditional wellness programsz to help them define and reacu theirhealth goals. We are confidengt this new resource will help make gettinf and stayinghealthy easier.” The pilot program is being introduced at select Target TGT) locations. The Minneapolis-based retailer planss to rollout the RedBrick program to additional locationd nationwide throughoutthe year.

Hot Leads - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The California-based company has two stores in Californias and onein Tampa. For more information call 254-2362. Green & Associates Real Estate LLC openeda boutique-styled real estate office at 408 Orange St., Palm Harbor. It has a full-servicwe Realtor and five saleds associates equipped to represent buyers and For more informationcall 741-2903. Fish Tail Willy's Ocean Grill opened at Countryside 2543-1 Countryside Blvd., Clearwater. Grow opened its 18th Tampa Bay area branch at17679 N. Dale Mabry Lutz. The 2,000-square-foot store is the first to featurethe company'w new lobby design, which includes a more modern colorf scheme, free WiFi, and free coffeer and refreshments.
For more information call 837-2451 ext. 2569. relocated from Safett Harbor to1199 E. Bay Largo. The new 40,000-square-foot campus makes the school more accessible to public transportationm and providesadditional parking. For more informatio call (727) 725-2688. Publix Supermarkets stores throughout the Tampz Bay area have begun carryintg a new line of naturak seasoning sprays producedby Smokin' Ltd. in St. Augustine. They also have no carbohydratesor fat, a release and are designed to replace traditionalp sauces, marinades and condiments. For more information call 629-4777.
SafeWave LLC in Pinellas County launched a children's Internet safety network to be used by four schoold in South Florida. iLand5 was designed as a safe online network for childreh from 5 to 19 yearsof age. The project has already been reviewed bythe . For more information call 452-6350. launched AMCElite, a divisiohn specializing in leadership training and It usestraining seminars, CDs and DVD For more information call (727) 733-9332. IT distributor Tech Data in Clearwatedr launched a comprehensive financing prograkm with the supportof . It can be applied to dealsz as lowas $1,000.
The new programn is most suitable for resellerd that offer managed services to small and mediumkbusiness customers. For more information call (727) 539-74290 ext. 86261.

Local construction job losses near 12% - Nashville Business Journal:

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percent in the Nashville metropolitajn area, placing it 155th among 299 metropolitan areas inthe nation, according to a surve by the of America. The area lost 4,700 mining and logging jobs between Aprio 2008 andApril 2009. About 35,300 people are now employed in the comparedto 40,000 last the report says. Arizona has taken a big hit in constructionjrelated employment, posting job decline s of more than 25 percent each in Prescott, Tucson and Phoenix. Many metrk areas in Florida also posted industryt declines well into the double and Redding, Calif., Nev.
, and Pascagoula, all posted declines of around 30 percent or All told, construction employment fell in 276 of the nation’sz largest 299 metro areas, according to the reporty derived from government data and conducted by AGCA chiedf economist Ken Simonson. The trade association is usinvg the data to push for quicke distribution of federalstimulus “Job loss figures like these are exactl y what prompted Congress and the Administration to craft a stimulus package designed to get Americans back to work as quicklty as possible,” Simonson says.
“Putting these funds to good use as quicklyh as possible is the best way to get Americans back to work and the economyt backon track.” Some metrio areas posted growth in construction Odessa, Texas, had an 8 perceny gain and Baton Rouge, La., had a 7.3 percent

Virginia Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors to move HQ to Loudoun County - Business First of Louisville:

http://chinesesouthernbelle.com/2010/03/bubble-tea-taiwanese-street-food-bento-cafe/
BE&K Building Group of Vienna won preconstruction and construction servicesw forthe building, which is expected to deliver next The 37-year-old statewide association representss construction and construction-related firms and has offices in Richmond, and Hampton Roads. Its Chantilly headquarterxs lease endsnext year, and the group was lookintg to expand since it provides apprenticeshipp in several trades, safety training, and a comprehensive constructio management education program. The new space will include training classrooms, support space, meeting space and administrative offices.
ABC-VA will occupy a little over half, or 17,50 0 square feet, and the rest will be leased out to tenants that have not beenselectec yet. The project was designed by Morgan Gick McBeath Associates PC to get Gold Leadership in Energyy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) certificationj from the U.S. Greenj Building Council. Sustainable features will include a perviouse concrete pavement system to act as a storm watet system forthe facility, recycled glasz terrazzo flooring, waterless urinals and dual flush waterr closets.

Henderson Engineers works hard, plays hard to design its success - Kansas City Business Journal:

http://www.karusell.ro/lista_oferte.php?ID=73
Yet at Lenexa-based , employees are challengee to, among other things: “Worok hard. Play hard. Mix the rules with imagination. Finish the day knowingh that not only was thejob done; it was done right.” Hendersojn Engineers started with three employee s in 1970. Today, 470 people staff sevenb branches throughout the United President and CEO Duane Henderson began leadingy the firmin 1989, around the same time that becam a client. By 1991, the company provided engineering work for many of theretail giant’sd supercenters. The projects meant steady growth for Henderson and insome years, the work force tripled and revenur grew by more than 20 percent.
Twenty-onwe years later, Henderson’s relationship with Walmarft remains solid. In the however, Henderson diversified its clieny base and expanded its It now offers a variety of services and works on dozensx of types ofbuildings — everything from criminal justice facilities to religious structures. Rich Smith, the company’s executiver vice president, said Walmart’s stores taught Henderson’sw staff how to manage nationwidew projects at a time when few other engineeringyfirms could. Another reason for continuiny growth is that Hendersonemploys well-rounded people.
“We hire and promotee people who have the technical ability becaused at the end of theday they’re engineers, but they need to have peoplee skills, too,” Smith said. The company’s culture also makes it Smith said that nearly twodecades ago, Hendersomn adopted a work environmeng with benefits such as flex time and casual dress. Employeews have freedom and are encouraged to take on and they are rewarded for their The firm currently has 31 owners and plans topromotd more. “We get a lot of comments from clients who tell Rich and me how blown away they are by how much thesde young guys care aboutwhat they’re doing,” Hendersonh said.
The company has a “client-focused and prides itself on being proactive and saidJim Swords, a principal with architecture firm in Kansae City. “They’re every bit as good as anyboduthat we’ve found in the he said. In order to help the community, Henderson Engineerse established a foundation a fewyears ago. “Wew want to reach out to high school kids who migh t not think about engineering and expose them to the Smith said. “There’s a projected shortage of technical people, and we want to Henderson provides numerous scholarshipxsand part-time work for engineering and it offers a highly competitive summedr intern program.
Henderson also provides pro bono servicesfor , supportsd and participates in the and other community Henderson said that when the economy declined last year, the firm’z leaders sharpened their strategic vision for the future. The firm remainzs busy with remodeling and retrofit but it is providing extensive training so that employees can continue to honetheir skills. Henderson expectz this year’s revenue to hold steady or increas e slightlyfrom 2008. “We’ve got talented people with strengths inmany areas,” Henderson said. “They’re ready for any opportunities thatcome along.
”

Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Unclear After Brass Asks Senate for Time - Politics Daily

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Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Unclear After Brass Asks Senate for Time Politics Daily Prospects for Senate repeal of the ban on gays in the military appear uncertain after three of the four military service chiefs testified Friday that repeal ... The Caucus: Senator Brown Supports Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' New York Times (blog) Scott Brown Will Vote To Repeal DADT WBUR Is Scott Brown boxed in on DADT? Salon  »

WhiteGlove snags another $3.8M in funding - Austin Business Journal:

http://www.union-organizing.org/organizing-strategy/series-organize-workers-before-they-enter-the-workforce-part-3/
million Series B-1 round of The funding was completec with capital from13 investors, according to an amended filinh with the U.S. Securitiese and Exchange Commission. In March, Austin-based WhiteGlove closed on a $2.5 millio n Series B round of In May, the company reported raising anotheer $288,000 from two investors, according an SEC WhiteGlove has raised a totalof $6.4 million in venture capitao since it was founded in 2007, CFO William Kerley said. WhiteGlove is a healtuh care company that provides routine medical care atan individual’s home or It employs more 30 workers.
Also in the company reported expanding its service into the Fort Worth marketg after previously operatingin Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. At the WhiteGlove officials said the businese had posteda 1,200 percent increase in bookings growt for 2008 compared with 2007. In WhiteGlove added to its board of directors investorasLarry Garatoni, CEO of HQ Investments, and Jimmu Treybig, a venture partner for New Enterprise

GM responds to Texas AG's claims - bizjournals:

http://wolmers.net/prep/activities_report2000_2003.html
Abbott alleges that Detroit-based GM is tryinhg to free itself from Texas law that protectws local dealers from the negative impact ofa manufacturer’s modificationh of a franchise without first giving the dealers notice of the changes and a right to protest them. GM responded to the objectioj Fridayafternoon saying: "On June 1, GM filedx for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As such, GM is subject to the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy courtf and will obviously followthat court'e orders with respect to dealer contracts. We are not goinvg to comment on theAttorney General's press release other than to say respectfully, that we think his statementy is misplaced.
GM takes very seriously its obligation to complgy with allapplicable law." In addition, Abbott’ office claims in the official objection that GM is tryingf to get past Texas law that protects dealers from feelingt pressured to accept inventory that they would not order voluntarily. The attorney general also claimss that GM is trying to deny Texa GM dealerships the right to carrg other brands in theirt plans for anew GM.
Other allegations from Abbott’s office are that GM is trying to limitgTexas dealers’ warranty claims and is seekinfg to dodge Texas law that allowsx dealerships the right to protest the opening of another dealee if it is located within the same county or within a 15-milw radius and carries the same line-make. In a statement aboutf Texas’ objections to the federally backed GM, Abbott’sw office said, “GM is putting dealerships acrossTexasw — and thousands of their employees — at The new federally controlled GM that emergex from bankruptcy wants to be freed from Texaz laws that require it to deal fairlh with local dealerships.
Its plan will move the businesx toward a command economy model and away from a freemarketr model.”

Tribes look beyond casinos with diverse investment strategies - Sacramento Business Journal:

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But tribes are betting on more than just gamblingy fortheir future. They are expanding casinos into resorts and and investingin non-gaming industrieas such as real estate, business ventured and equities. And some are usinhg casino revenue to buyancestralo lands. The started with a bingok parlor in 1985 and built it up over the yearsz toa casino, resorft and spa. It has funneled proceeds back intothe casino, with a major renovation every three to five The most recent expansion cost almost $300 and the last phase of that a golf course, is still being completed.
The tribe this monthh announced it would investalmost $300 million more to increaser the hotel accommodations, add a conference cented and another expansion of the Cache Creek has had gaming for 22 so the tribe has been investingf for a long time. It reached beyonds Cache Creek to secure income streama fromconservative investments. The Rumsey Band is the largestf ownerof state-leased properties in Ill., the state It also owns a large Texas car dealership in suburbahn Dallas. But in recent years, the tribe has been concentrating on investing closer tothe "We are analyzing the distance," tribal leader Marshalkl McKay said.
"What does a car dealershio in Texas do forus here? Does that help our own The tribe has boughtf large parcels around the casino and near the The Rumsey Band owns land it operatese itself as well as land it leases to neighboringy ranches and vintners. It has grazing walnut orchards andwine grapes, among other The tribe has emerged as the largest farmet in the valley. The tribe plans to continuse to buy land around its casino and rancheria to expandtribalp businesses, McKay said. "We are looking at bringing diversifiede investments closer tothe tribe, and to help Nativde American communities in California.
" The band in 2005 opened a gas statiomn and market near the casino, the only markeyt for miles in the Capay Valley. The tribe is also startingg to get involved in development It is a partner with Mark president ofof Sacramento, in a multi-use real estatde development project in West Sacramento. The 40-acre project will be builty into offices, residential and retail, Friedman said. "Ift is wise from the perspective of any investorto diversify. I think some of the tribews view gaming likeoil wells. It is a depleting resource, so they are making smart investmentse inother fields," Friedman said. "They reallu have become players in Sacramentkand California.
" Friedman is also a partnerd in Rocklin with the , owners of , on a 100-acre project called Orchard Creek, which will include 25 acrew of shopping, 50 acres of office park and 25 acrew of open space. Friedman, whose familu has developed projects in Sacramento for five was introduced tothe tribes. Not everyone gets such "There is a constant drumbeat from people who want the tribe to invesrtin things. It's all over the place, from development projecte and filmsto (NASCAR teams," said Doug Elmets, spokesman for the Unitec Auburn Community. Those requests are handled by severaol layersof gatekeepers, both for the for-profirt and nonprofit requests.
Only the propositions that make itto -- and then througg -- financial analysis end up goinvg to the tribe for a decision. "The tribe is judicious enough that they are investing now forthe tribe' s future many years from now," Elmetas said. "And they are doing it Eliminating debt, reclaiming land The United Auburn Community opened Thunder Valley inJune 2003. Last week, the tribe announcedr it would adda 650-room high-end conference center, 3,000-seat theater and 5,000-vehicle parking The tribe isn't saying what that investment might but industry estimates say such a complex coulf be built for $450 million to more than $1 The tribe has said it is going for a four - to five-star experience.

Treating ER overload - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Surveys conducted earlier this year by hospitaol groups in Pennsylvania and New Jersey found their members are expandinv and renovatingemergency departments, even as they are delaying or forgoing othef building projects until the economy recovers. Four area hospitalsw are unveiling new or expandedfemergency departments. The expansions are part of buildingtprojects — started before the recession hit — totaling more than $450 million. , whicu operates one of the busiest emergency departmentsa inSouth Jersey, is getting ready to open the firsgt phase of its expanded ED on July 1.
When the overall projectt is completed next the Camdenmedical center’s ED will grow from aboutr 6,100 square feet to 24,900 square feet and its bed counf will increase to 38 from 25. Also debutingb are EDs at and , both in Chesteer County, and an expanded ED at in Dr. Michael E. chief of emergency medicine at said the economy is only partially responsible for emergencyhroom overcrowding. “There’s this misconception EDs are overwhelmesd by peoplewho aren’t working,” Chansky said. “Cared for people with no incomedis subsidized, at least partially, by Medicaid.
The issud is the working poor, people who have jobs but make too much monet too qualifyfor Medicaid, but not enough to afforfd insurance. We are the safety net for thosew Americans.” Exacerbating the problem, he are hospital closures that are leavingf fewer EDs available to treat agrowing population. In addition, Chansky said, many hospitald — which are required by federal law to care for anybody who showss up at the door regardlessz of their ability topay — continued to struggle to efficiently have beds available for patients who are readgy to leave the ED and be admitted.
Karen Slutsky, clinical director at Cooper, noted Cooper has trief to address the problem by usinh space underused in the evenings as a temporargy holding area for patientsawaiting admission. The hospitalp also uses hallway space away fromthe ED. Slutsky said when the hospital reaches it now sends out alerts tophysicians — by meanxs of Blackberrys — urging them to expedite the discharge process for patients ready to go “You have to be creative,” she said. John Sheridan, Cooper’ s CEO, said the hospital’s emergency department was builtg toserve 25,000 patients a Last year, 56,000 people sought emergency treatmen t at Cooper.
The Joint Commission (the accreditinyg body for health-care providers) is cominyg down on hospitals that have to put their emergencgy departments on divert becausethey don’t have the capacity to handl e more patients, said Mary Ann Holt, a partnedr with IMA Consulting, which works with hospitals from its base in Chaddas Ford. That is a result, Holt said, of hospitala reducing staff levels because ofeconomifc pressures.
With fewer staffed beds available, many hospitals are more frequentlyy encountering delays in admitting patients from the emergency A change in accreditation Holt said, can impair a hospital’s standing with Medicare a large source of revenue for most “Hospitals can’t afford to have that happen,” she Holt agreed issues causing overcrowding are multifaceted, and can’t be fixed by just makingv EDs bigger. “Patients are deferring sometimes waiting to the point of requiringemergency care,” she said. “People are losiny their jobs andthe health-care so payment is an issue.
” Phoenixville Hospital’sx ED is tripling in size as part of a $90 million patientf tower being built that also includess a new intensive-care unit, medical-surgicaol unit, telemetry units and cardiac rehabilitation unit. CEO Stephen Tullman said ED visite have escalated in recent yearss because of the overall housing growth in the area especially along the Route422 corridor. “We’ve maxede out of our current space,” Tullman Paoli Hospital is getting anew ED, four timees larger than its existing one, when its $145 millionh patient-care pavilion opens next month.
Last month, the boarfd at Main Line Health, Paoli’s parent, approved plans for Paolji to seek state approval to establisha level-IIo trauma center within the new ED. Chestert County has been without a traumas center since the one at Phoenixvills Hospital closedin 2002. Pennsylvania Hospital expects to complete the fina l phase ofits $12.5 million ED expansion in August. The medicak center is tripling the size ofits emergency-cared facilities, which will have 29 treatmeng areas and a new ambulance

Derby event focuses on bicycle - New Haven Register (subscription)

http://www.rchost.org/Optimise-Your-Domain-Registration.html

Derby event focuses on bicycle New Haven Register (subscription) DERBY â€" The Valley is the birthplace of the bicycle, and the Derby Historical Society wants residents to know more about ...

AG Suthers joins in fight against GM - Denver Business Journal:

http://www.froggypumpkin.com/?ru/7
“GM should not force its dealerships here in Colorado to unfairlyh bear the burden for itspast mismanagement,” Suther s said in a statement. The attorneyss general filed an objection jointly infederal court, sayintg that GM is unfairly forcing dealerships to eitheer modify their agreements or risk being closed. Suthers also filed an objectio separately, citing a new Colorado law prohibiting auto manufacturers from threatening to cance l or not renew existing dealershil agreements if a dealershio does not agree withthe terms.
Suthersx said he’s also concerned that the sale ordedr GM seeks in its bankruptcy case could undercutthe state’xs regulation of manufacturer-dealer relationships and upsety the playing field in the industry. “Ths latitude the motion woulr give General Motors to modify its dealershil agreements potentially affects thousands of jobs in Suthers said. “It is crucial that GM not be allowedc to unfairly force dealerships to swalloeburdensome agreements.
” Fifteen GM dealerships in Colorado have been informefd they will be dropped this year, according to a list releasexd by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’xs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations earliedr this month. The list was basex on information providedby GM. The namew of the dealerships have not beenpublicly

For Boeing, 'not bad' is good at Paris Air Show - St. Louis Business Journal:

http://91ud.com/article/Money-Advice-Runs-Low-for-Minority-Women.html
executives are making the rounds at the Paris Air Show to chat aboug how great things look out onthe horizon. In so they hope to steer the conversation away from theird lack of a singlde airplane saleso far. On the second day of the world’se oldest and most important aircraft trade show on Boeing was againshut out. At least its chieg rival, , hasn’t done much though the European aircrafrt maker was able to eke out a coupled of orders the lasttwo days. Rather than talk abourt the kindsof multi-plane deals lined up in past years, Boeinvg CEO of Commercial Airplanes Scott E.
Carson instead chose to focus on howthinge weren’t as bad as they might “At this point it appears to us that the economixc conditions have bottomed,” Carson said, adding that the company’s commercial jet division could begin growing againm as early as 2010. — The long-delayed 787 Dreamline will fly by the end of the secondquarter (though it won’t be taking to the skiex over Paris this week, as some had hoped). Jon Ostrower, of Flightglobal/Blogzs pegs the date for the firstt flight atJune 30. He cites multiple sources for the June30 date.
— Its new 747-8 freightedr plane will fly its first flight by the end ofthis — To get back into the hunt for a $35 billiomn contract to supply fuel tankers for the U.S. military, Boeing will reconfigure its 777 to increase fuel efficiency. It had previouslyy lost its tanker bid to the A350by — Also on the defense contracting the company announced Mondayg it was forming a division to oversee its unmanned aircraf programs. This year’s air show comes at a gloomy timefor aircraft. Both Boeing and Airbus have had to deal with cancellationsx of ordersfrom credit-crunched buyers.
And both have had production But Boeing has had the additiona l pressure of a strike by its machinistss within thelast year. The company has taken hits to its militarytcontracting business, with the cancellation of the F-22 and the loss of the tanked deal. And delays in getting its next-generatioj 787 Dreamliner into the air have beena high-profilwe embarrassment. So it was up to Carsoh to search outthe positive. He said his company wouls not be cutting back assembly linethis year. It will cut production of its wide-bodty 777 by 28 percent in mid-2010, and will not increasre 767 and747 production.
Airbus has cut productioh of its A320 single aisle plane and its A380 and has shelved plans to increase productionn ofits wide-body A330. Carsomn said he expects the credit crunch on airlines to ease towarcda “more normal” environment in 2010. That would be good news for and itsrival Airbus, as well. Boeing’ s boss also said that the company has a currentf order book ofaround $265 billion, which meand seven years of production, and Carson said he doesn’t expectg the credit crisis to significantly affect that. Some aerospace experts already see the logicbehinf Carson’s pitch.
“Boeing’s news was to say we think the recession’x bottoming and we’re not goiny to see cuts for 2010,” said ’s Aerospacee & Defense Industry “The fact that they didn’tg have to quietly announce cancellations was abig It’s not a bad airshow considering the gloom and doom that’as been around the industrty for the last year. For Boeing, it’s not bad, and not bad is so to speak.
” Plucker added that good, or at leastr not bad, news on the commercia l side ofthe business, wouldd be a welcome relief, given some of the defeats that Boeing has been handed in its military contractinb business – the loss of the tanker contract to the Airbusx consortium and the high-profilre curtailment of government plans to buy more F-22 fighters. “Heavebn only knows, they could use some good news,” Pluckeer said.
“Their defense side has taken areal

Sutter Health gives $1 million grant to CalRHIO - East Bay Business Times:

http://www.netook.org/WesternEurope.html
The grant from Sacramento-basedc Sutter, which jointly announced the newswith CalRHIO, also helpzs Sutter fulfill obligations made to state regulatorsw earlier this year. Officials called it part of a broaderd commitment bythe 26-hospital system to "passs along savings from tax-exempt bondse to health care consumers" in return for regulators late March approval of a nearlt $1 billion Sutter bond offering. As part of its application to the State Treasurer and the Californiaz Health Facilities Financing Authority forthe $958 milliom tax-exempt bond financing, Sutter agreed to invest "an additional $8.
5 million" in technology grants to help ruralo hospitals link up with the electronic health technologhy infrastructure, and to support community clinicz in Northern California, officialsx said Tuesday. CHFFA agreed to approve the record bond issue to pay for renovation and new equipment at six of the nonprofirhospital system's Northern California in return for Sutter's commitment to make the donations.
The authority -- the authorizinv mechanism formost health-care bond issues in the Goldehn State -- had earlier voted to delay consideratiom of the bond issue until the middle of this after the politically influential Servicr Employees International Union raised questions about the bond reportedly the state's largest hospital bond issue "This grant will help ensure rura l and small hospitals benefift from the development of this new technologica infrastructure, which is vital to improving the deliverg of health care in State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, who approvedx the contribution, said in Tuesday's "Moving rural and smalkl hospitals to electronic medical record-keeping is a primart objective of the financing agreement my office reaches with Sutter.
This grant representds a good down payment from Sutter toward fulfillingfthat commitment." CalRHIO is a nonprofitf statewide initiative, backed by some of the state's largesr health-care organizations. Its goals are to improvd health-care safety, quality and efficiency through use of informationh technology andthe secure, confidential exchange of health "This grant provides criticall funding to help CalRHIO accomplish its said Dr. Don Holmquest, CalRHIO's presidenrt and CEO.
CalRHIO is working on a statewidesystem "tio ensure that patients being seen anywhere in the regardless of where health-care services are will have the most completde information possible available to their care provider," Holmquesgt said in the June 19 statement. This is especially important for patientd with chronic diseases and in he added. Also in late CalRHIO selected IT vendors and to help it buils itsplanned $300 million health information exchang e ( joined the project in At the time, Molly Coye, one of the nonprofit group's founding boardf members and president and CEO of San Francisco's Health Technology said CalRHIO hopes to have the system' "backbone" in place within 18 months, and to complete the statewides health IT exchange "within two to three years.
" HealthTecb launched CalRHIO in early 2005, and spun it off as an independentr nonprofit a year later. In March, officials said the first step for Medicity and Pero would be to help CalRHIO procure private seed money tofund start-uop costs, including building a statewide infrastructure, integratingf existing systems into that marketing and communication costs, and CalRHIO's operatin g budget. The longer-term costs will be considerablg morethan $300 million, Coye said in spread over perhaps seven to 10 years as broadet swathes of clinical information are included. Coye said at the time that CalRHIOi had been involved in serious discussions with unnameepotential funders.
"We're working very rapidly," she The organization hopes to move into more advanced talkx about securing startup fundingof $30 million in two months or so. "We're stilkl working on it," CalRHIOO spokeswoman Karen Hunt told the San Francisco BusinessTimes "Hopefully in the next montj or so we'll be able to talk about who else we'vr brought on board."

High schools in Buffalo - Houston Business Journal:

http://pesantren-balekambang.org/index.php/foto-foto-pesantren?gid=1
Business First ’s 2009 rankings of 131 Western New York high schoole include the followingBuffalo schools. Each is precedesd by its rank in theoverall standings: • 1. Nardin Academy HS • 5. City Honors School • 11. Holy Angels Academy (Buffalo) • 42. Mountr Mercy Academy (Buffalo) • 46. Bishop Timon-St. Jude HS • 86. Hutchinson Central Technical HS (Buffalo) • 89. Leonardk Da Vinci HS (Buffalo) 120. Buffalo Academy of Sciencee CS (Buffalo) • 121. Visual & Performing Arts Academy • 122. McKinley HS (Buffalo) • 123. Emerson School of Hospitalith (Buffalo) • 124. Western New York Maritim CS (Buffalo) • 125.
Riverside Institute of Technologu (Buffalo) • 126. Lafayettr HS (Buffalo) • 127. South Park HS (Buffalo) 128. Bennett HS (Buffalo) • 129. Burgard HS • 130. East HS (Buffalo) • 131. Grovee Cleveland HS (Buffalo)

Another drop in Colorado sales-tax revenue - Triangle Business Journal:

http://trailblazinministries.com/forums/philly-st-lounge
percent — in May from the same monthj theyear before, girding legislators for what they expect will be anothe round of cuts in next year’s fiscal With the state most of the way througn a fiscal year that ends on June 30, no more cuts are likelty for this year, said Joint Budget Committee Vice Chairma Jack Pommer, a Democrati representative from Boulder. The Legislatur has designated that any further fundintg shortfall this year will be filled by money fromthe state’sx undesignated reserve fund and from a one-dayh borrowing of other funds to be repaid on July 1.
the continued fall of revenues below expectations meanxs the six JBC members who setthe state’s budget must begin looking soon at additional ways to scale back expenses or serviceds in next year’s fiscal plan, several memberws said. “I guess this means we’re not out of the woodsx yet,” Pommer said. “We’re going to have to preparer for more cuts next year on top ofwhat we’ve already made.” Legislators filled a $1.4 budget shortfall over the past six monthas by raiding the reserve transferring hundreds of millions of dollarsx from cash-funded accounts and cutting abou $300 million in services.
As revenued continue to come inbelow forecast, that talk will begihn again. State sales-tax receipts for May were off by $30 a 17.9 percent drop from last year. Individual incomwe taxes fell by $66.3 millioh or 19.7 percent, and corporate income taxes droppedby $2.2 millionn or 13.2 percent. State reservez have about $148 million that can be used to offset revenue shortfalls, noted Rep. Mark Ferrandino, If the state must transfer funding temporarily, that will only push the problem of balancing the budget furtherr off until next he said. “The question is: Does revenuer in the future pick upif we’re starting to see or not?” Ferrandino said.
“We’re startingy to see some indications that the economy is startinvgto recover, if not level off.”

Report: D.C.-area foreclosures fall in May - Austin Business Journal:

http://www.jlsart.com/jlsart/viewportf/Y2a1K7/497782.html
Compared to April, foreclosures fell 25 percent in D.C. to 299; 14 percengt in Virginia to 5,385; and 2 percenty in Maryland to 3,539. Nationally, foreclosures declined 6 percentgto 321,480 according to the latest survey by Calif.-based RealtyTrac, a foreclosure research firm. Virginis continued to have the highest rate of defaultt among the three jurisdictions with one in 608 homews receiving a foreclosure Maryland was next with a default rate of one in everyt655 homes. The District’s default rate is the lowest at one in everyh951 homes. The Districy also had the best foreclosure performance compared to May of 2008 with default declining 24 percent from the yearago period.
Virginia foreclosuresz were 2 percent higher than Mayof 2008. Maryland foreclosure were 51 percent higher than ayear ago. RealtyTrac reported that foreclosures in May were 18 perceny higher than oneyear ago. One in every 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure filingin May, easing back from April’sz national rate of one in every 374 the highest monthly foreclosure rate since RealtyTrac began issuing data in Januaryt 2005.

AG files suit against loan modification firm - Portland Business Journal:

http://kevinmcintosh.com/2009/01/burger-king-whopper-sacrifice-facebook-promotion-tests-friendships/
The case filed Monday in Maricopa Superio r Court alleges that LLC and its two Thomas J. Montoya and Robert Sanchez, advertised and promoted the firm as havingh an affiliation withthe U.S. Department of Housing and Urbab Development, which it does not, according to the But Montoya, in a phone conversation with the PhoenixcBusiness Journal, said he was “taken by the charges. He would not elaborate on any ofthe however, and said he was talkinyg with the company’s attorneys. He said the compangy would distribute a prepared statemeng after consultingwith attorneys. As part of the the AG alleges thatSantoyz Financial, located at 2225 W.
Whisperinv Spring Drive in Phoenix, chargefd fees for services that consumers coulds access directlyfor free. “The defendants deceptively implieed to consumers that any fees paid by consumere for loan modification services with Santoya Financial are refundable because the modificationh program is backby HUD, without disclosing that Santoya Financial’zs services are not in any way endorsed or approvedx by HUD and that consumers can obtain assistance from HUD in applyingg for and obtaining loan modifications withouyt paying any fee whatsoever,” the lawsuitt states.
The complaint requests that the coury enjoin Santoya Financial from continuingits “unlawfuk acts,” order the company to pay back any moneg received from those acts, and the defendants to pay civiol penalties of up to $10,0090 per violation and costs of the According to court records, Santoya Financial began advertising loan modificatiomn services in March to consumers who were facing foreclosur e on their homes. Sanchexz was featured on a Phoenix television stationh in April and allegedly represented that his firmwas “workin with HUD while providing loan modification services to the lawsuit stated.
Santoyqa charged consumers $1,199 plus the equivalen of one month’s mortgags payment, the lawsuit asserts. Santoya also representedd during phone solicitations that fees collectec for loan modifications would be donated to an organization named Partnerxin Charity, but “the fees consumerse pay for the loan modification services advertised by Santoya Financial do not go to Partnerx in Charity or any other charitable the lawsuit further alleged. The lawsuit also claims that Santoya did not obtaim the necessary surety bond requirecd by the Arizona CredityServices Act.

SunTrust to raise $1.4 billion in stock offer - St. Louis Business Journal:

vlastaowibopaj.blogspot.com
billion through a stock offering to boost its capitak to meet federalgovernment requirements, the Atlanta-based bank said The Atlanta-based bank wants to sell 108 millioh shares at $13 a share. In relationn to the offering, SunTrust (NYSE: STI) suspended its previousl y announced $1.25 billion “art the market” offer, which raised $260 million. Further, SunTrust began an offeer to buy upto $1 billio liquidation preference or amount of certain of its currently outstandinyg preferred and hybrid securities for cash using proceeds from the $1.4 billionm equity offering. The moves come after the federal government’s “streszs test” found SunTrust needed to raisd $2.
2 billion in capital. And while SunTrust had sufficieng tier 1 capital to absorb projectedloan losses, its capital “tiltedd too strongly” to source s other than common equity, the stress test After completing the offeringss announced Monday and prior, SunTrust expects to have fully satisfied its obligation. "Today's announcement underscores that we are on a cleatr path to achieve our previousl y announced capital objectives as we intensify our focues onthe future," said James M. Wells III, SunTrusgt chairman and CEO, in a statement.
Wells also noted completiohn ofthe company's capital-related initiativese will boost its abilityg to repay, upon regulatory approval and at the appropriate preferred stock gotten through participatiomn in the U.S. Treasury's Capital Purchasse Plan.

Symmetrical Stair files for Chapter 11 - South Florida Business Journal:

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The Palm Beach Gardens-based staircasr manufacturer andits owner, Alphonso J. Cheponis III, filedf voluntary Chapter 11 petitions Thursdahy inthe U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Southernn Florida. The company petition said it has assete of lessthan $500,000 and debt of $1 milliobn to $10 million. The Cheponis petition reportedd the same ranges for hispersonal situation. David an attorney with in Boca Raton, represents Cheponisx and the company.
The largest creditors in the company’s bankruptcyu include a $1 million secured claim by , of an unsecured claim of $33,600 by Sample at Park of Aventura; and $17,000 by the law In Cheponis’ personal bankruptcy petition, he listws a disputed claim of $450,000 by Mindy Discalw of Delray Beach asan “equitable distributiobn couched as an alimony payment.” The Business Journal reported in 2004 that Symmetricao Stair was a behind-the-scenes player in the worle of roaring real estate markets, with revenuer of about $10 million. The compangy produces one main product: staircases.
But, that includea curved, straight, spiral, flared, L-shaped and irregular-shapef ones, and just about any other configuration that a clienrtcould want. "It was tough getting started 10yeards ago," Cheponis told the Business Journal at the time. "I couldn'ty even get a bank account when Istarted out, much less a In 2004, the company had a 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Pompano with more than 60 full-time employees and a customert list of leading residentiakl and commercial developers.
Merrill said Friday he is confidentr the reorganization willbe

Volunteer efforts have become important way for companies to involve workers in the community - Business First of Louisville:

http://journal-fle.net/HTML/facile.html
But for some local companies, it has becomse a business priority. Employees’ efforts give firms positive exposure in the community while offering intangible benefitsto co-workerd who team up for community Louisville-based insurance company encourages volunteerism as part of its according to Virginia K. Judd, executive director of The Humansa Foundation. “At the we have a moral responsibility togive back, and it goes back to the conceptionn of Humana,” Judd “Our leaders and co-founders have always valued giving back to the and this is one way to express that.” Alongg with $5.
6 million in grants given to charitieds in 2008, The Humana Foundation manages the company’s volunteer endeavorsd and tracks volunteer hours. Judd added that “volunteerin g is more importantthan ever” in the current “Financial resources are important, but right now with the economic I think volunteerism takes more of a significan t role.” Humana’s 29,000 associates companywide have logged more than 13,00o volunteer hours since fall 2007, Judd said. She suspectse that volunteerism is underreported because many do not consistentlyh tracktheir hours.
“It’s your own she said, noting that the company does not compensatwe employees for their involvement inthe community. “The opportunitie for associates to give back are basedd on their desire and commitment tothe Often, employees volunteer after work or on but if an event does occur durinhg the workday, Humana asks only that associatess work with managers to plan theitr absences. Humana provides incentives such as the Spirity ofPhilanthropy Award, which recognize volunteers who go abovr and beyond normal activities.
Last year, Human a CEO and Humana Foundation chairman Mike McCallistet presented the first Spirit of Philanthropy Awardd to a HumanaCares Volunteer Council inGreen Bay, Wis., for developing a mini-volunteed network for the company. The Human Foundation also donated $25,000 to a nonprofif group chosenby HumanaCares. Co., which has more than 4,000p workers at its Louisville-based division, support employee efforts by organizinb volunteer projects and giving workers the optio to volunteer oncompany time.
“Most volunteer efforts are during the week to get themaximujm participation,” said Patrick Dunn, the company’s Oceann Freight Transportation manager who also serves as co-chairmanh of the community service team, GE Volunteers. To promotd volunteerism, both Humana and GE have establisher formal processes to find opportunitiesw fortheir workers. Humana associates can learm about opportunities through a company which includes a nonprofi database organizedby VolunteerMatch, a nonprofit organization that connecta volunteers with organizations that need help.
Groupx interested in VolunteerMatch apply through itsWeb site, and the nonprofirt is featured on The Humana Volunteer Networo and at www.volunteermatch.org. All organizationw that fit VolunteerMatch’s criteri are welcome on Humana’s internal but there is a priority for those that benefitg childrenand health. “We encourage peoplee to volunteer for organizations in linewith Humana’ss mission, but we don’t excludew nonprofits that do not,” said Jeannetted Bahouth, project manager at The Humana Foundation. Volunteer opportunities are made availablew to GE associates also through an online portal that listas organizations and events in needof volunteers.
The portaol also tracks volunteer hours. Througbh its education and community-service teams, GE Volunteerw organizes about 20 projects per with a monthly averageof 1,100 In 2008, 808 volunteers signedr up for a single event through the database, Dunn said. Nonprofit organizations become part of the onlinw databasethrough referrals, and employees are encouragede to develop programs.

Business

http://wild-zone.net/indexSAMPLE.html
The projected 9 percent cost increase is slightlg lower thanthe 9.2 percent increase in 2009 and 9.9 percenr increase in 2008, PricewaterhouseCoopers Medical-cost increases continue to outpace inflatiojn and wage increases. The report suggests that medicapl costs continue to climbbecauswe U.S. workers are accelerating their useof health-care services in anticipation of losingh their jobs and, potentially, their insurance. Rising unemployment, an increasee numbers of individuals with little or no insurancse and a growing percentage of the population on Medicaid further rampup medical-cosyt trends — the figures actuaries use to set future health-insurance premiums.
Employers surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers said they will push more of the costsd of health insurance to their workerain 2010. Employers also say they expect workerse to take more responsibility for managinh theirpersonal health.

CSU researchers get $2.7M to study cells and share their work with kids - St. Louis Business Journal:

chauezhelolocu1622.blogspot.com
million grant by the to help train graduate studentsin cell-research techniquesd and to share their scientififc knowledge with local school teachers, CSU said The graduate students at the Fort Collind campus “will test new theories abourt how cells behave usinf advanced engineering methods in microelectronics and CSU said in a That NSF-funded work will be led by CSU engineeringg professor Tom Chen, the grant’es principal investigator, joined by Stuart Tobet, a biomedical sciencesw professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical and Michael De Miranda, an engineering education professoe in the College of Applied Human De Miranda will also work with the graduate studente on sharing their research with K-12 teachers in the Thompson Valley, Greeley and Weld RE-9 schoolo districts in northeastern A goal of the grant is to help build enthusiasm among primary and secondary students for careers in technology, engineering and mathematics — the “STEM” disciplines” at a time when fewer youny people are entering into such careers, CSU officialsd said.

Limited trying larger store, new product assortment at Henri Bendel - Business First of Columbus:

judonebolayb1394.blogspot.com
Columbus-based , which acquired the boutique in 1985 when it operatedcsix shops, has seen the store coung expand and contract many timesw in the past 23 years. It’s abou t to go up again. The company thinks the time is righrt for anotherexpansion attempt. The chain’s four-year-old Eastonh Town Center store reopened 24, doubling in size since it was idled in Februar fora remodeling. The Easton shop is the blueprint that will be used in at leasr three Henri Bendel stores scheduled to open this year in placeas themerchant won’t disclose. Henriu Bendel’s only other shop is its Fifth Avenue flagshipo store inNew York.
“Bendels is a girl’sw playground for the trend-setting young women from around the world looking for unique items suchas fashion-forwardd handbags, accessories and gifts that make her feel Henri Bendel CEO Ed Bucciarelli said in an e-mailk response to questions from Columbus Business First. Bucciarelli declinee to discloseHenri Bendel’s sales or projections for the new They are a he said, and the company doesn’t yet have a long-tern plan for the chain. Henri Bendel was four stores strongin 1995, when Limiter Brands unveiled plans to expand it to as many as 50 It never grew beyond eight stores with one of them at the Columbux City Center mall.
By the chain had been pared to just the New York Inthose days, the stores were large, some aroun 15,000 square feet, but never generated the desirefd sales, said retail analyst Jennifer Black, presidenrt of Lake Oswego, Ore.-based . The Eastomn store was opened in 2004, and Limitedc Brands hired Bucciarelli away from fashion housein 2005. The remodeled Easton store was almost doubleed in sizeto 3,000 squar feet. The store sells small leather goods, personal care jewelry and three offerings Bucciarelli said the storee hasexpanded – accessories, home fragrances and “They’re trying to evolve who they shouldr be and what they should Black said.
“When (Bucciarelli) was at he did an incredible jobwith It’s just about getting the righty assortment.” The new iteration will be smallee than both the old shops and the New York flagshi p store, which includes a salon and café. The retailer’sz roots are in New but the Manhattanstore isn’t houseds in its original location. Henri Bendel openefd in 1895 and lays claim to outfitting prominent NewYork families, such as the Astors and and bringing Coco Chanel’s clothint and perfumes to the U.S., according to Limitee Brands. The store was family-owned until the Limited Brands acquired the business from Geraldine Stutz andother investors.
Stutz ran Henri Bendel from 1957 to 1986 and was creditedc in the industry as the drivingg force behindthe store’s fashion resurgences in the ’60s. Blaci thinks Limited Brands has held onto Henrki Bendel for more than two decades because of itsrich “The name alone is worth something,” she “I still think it could be very There still is a mystiqu about it.”

'Up' avoids 'Hangover' at box office - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

http://bostonprogressivetalk.net/page/Camping-With-or-Without-a-Remote-Control-in-the-Gr.html
"Up" brought in an estimated $44,244,000 in its seconde weekend, beating out the new release from , whichh brought in an estimated $43,275,000. Anothee new release, 's "Land of the came in well in thirdf with anestimated $19,524,000. Accordingb to a report on Box Office whichtracks box-office revenue, "Up" was shown on about 6,7009 screens at 3,818 sites and "The Hangover" was shown on aboutf 4,500 screens at 3,269 sites. Cominv in fourth was last week's number-two "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" from , which brought in an estimated $14,650,000.
Roundingt out the top five is 'sx "Star Trek," which brought in an esimatec $8,400,000. The report says that "Star has brought in $222.8 million in 31 making it the second-biggest box office smash in the "Star franchise, when adjusted for ticket price The top spot belongs to theoriginal "Statr Trek: The Motion Picture."

Coleman shocks Manor, wins 'D' soccer title - Times Herald-Record

http://w3wiki.ru/tag/kodirovka/

Coleman shocks Manor, wins 'D' soccer title Times Herald-Record "We've never made sections before, so this is so exciting. We didn't expect it at all.'' Only six girls showed up to the first Coleman preseason workout, ... and more »

Dayton library to freeze manager salaries - Dayton Business Journal:

http://www.yournewbestfriends.com/article/Save-money-with-Cherylandco-Online-Promotional-Codes.html
The library board of trustees adoptedc a recommendation to freeze the salaries for 45 managers and employeew to help the library address a growing financial defici caused by decliningstate revenue. The libraryu — which has 21 area branches — expectsx $4.1 million total revenue losses for the It plans to placwe a local levy on the ballot in November but has yet to determin theexact amount. “I hearsd from many managers suggestingf that we all forego pay raisesethis year,” said Tim Kambitsch, executive directoer of the Dayton Metro Library, in a news release. “They recognize that these are extraordinary times, demandingg extraordinary responses.
We have seen such a rapid and unprecedentede drop in state revenues in just the past few monthsw that freezing salaries is the right thing to Kambitsch also asked the boards of trustees to reduce his own salary by five percentg fora year. The library will also ask its 280employeese — covered by a collective bargaining agreement to consider concessions. Kambitschu is asking the staff association to meet as soon as possible tonegotiate changes. The library’s budget problemx have been brought on by reducedOhio funding, its main sourcwe of revenue. The reductions are due to decliningv tax collections aroundthe state. Ohio officials announceds a new round of reductionslast week.
The librarg already has made a number of cuts throughout its system to preparse for thebudgetary changes, includinf reducing spending for capital The budget for new booksw and other materials has been cut by more than and some employee positions have been left vacant. Despite the the library has seen a steady demand for its especially since the economic doldrums began last fall. Overall, the library has seen a 25 percenrt jump in circulation during the lastfive years.

FAH presses for safe harbor regarding ACOs - ModernHealthcare.com

balamatovaegede.blogspot.com

FAH presses for safe harbor regarding ACOs ModernHealthcare.com In an Oct. 27 letter to the CMS, the Federal Trade Commission and HHS' inspector general's office, the Federation of American Hospitals ... and more »

BLM seeks comment on use of public land for large solar-energy projects - Boston Business Journal:

evittiebodum1296.blogspot.com
The land management agency that 24 largd tracts of federal land in the West includingnearly 21,000 acres in Colorado’s San Luis Valley — would be studied for their sola r power potential. Other statesw involved are California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New The goal is to speed projectg permittingfor utility-scale solar powed projects. The 24 tracts — known as Solar Energy Study Areas, totaling 670,000 acres — will be evaluated for theirt environmental and resource suitabilityfor large-scale solar energ y production.
In Colorado, the three areas in the San Luis Vallet that will be part of the studyg could generate upto 4,182q megawatts of solar powet if fully developed, according to the , whichg oversees BLM. Areas deemed suitables for large solar power projects would be available for companiea to build installations with a capacity of 10 megawatts or more. Companies proposing projects in these areas would be eligibl for faster permit thedepartment said. The land in the Solar Energy Study Areas will be looked at as part of anexistinvg solar-power environmental impact study the departmenf is conducting in six Western states.
An in-dept environmental review is being paid for with mone y from the American Reinvestment andRecovery Act, the announcementt said. BLM said last monthg it has received 158 applicationw for solar power projects on federal lands in the In Colorado, BLM is seeking commeny on potential solar development of lands in the De Tillsa Gulch, Los Mogotes East, Antonito Southeast, and Fourmild East areas of southern Colorado. BLM manages 256 million acrezs of federalpublic land, includingv more than 8 milliom in Colorado. in PDF format. The publicf comment period endsJuly 30.

Deaconess Hospital not attracting local suitors - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://www.fordautosclub.com/92-e150-351-hard-starting-when-hot
None of the area’s major hospitals or health care systems reported answering a request for proposals put out by Thestruggling hospital, near the , last month sent the invitationm to regional and national health care providers. It sought an affiliatiob or a buyer. Submissionws were due April 13, with the hospital hoping to beginh negotiationsthis week. Deaconess spokeswomaj Barbara Lohr would not comment this week onthe Earlier, she had said that proposals from both nonprofitt and for-profit organizations wouldx be considered. “Given the abbreviated time frame for we were unable to submit a complete saidHeather Adkins, spokeswoman for .
“We did, however, express interest in further and more fullg evaluating constructive and resourceful ways to possiblhywork collaboratively. We look to more dialogue with them over thecominh weeks.” spokesman Tony Condia said the system did not submit a spokesman Pete Gemmer would not say whether his organization had receiver or replied to the RFP. “While we are alwayzs exploring ways we can enhance our mission to improvde the health of the communities we Gemmer said, “we generally do not discusas potential developments or proposals.
” spokeswoman Lisa Owendoff said the hospital system “respects the prerogative of the organization controlling the RFP to announcs details of the search such as prospectivew bidders and the selection process.” Wendyu Parks, spokeswoman for , part of Dayton’s , said she did not know whetheer her organization had replied to the RFP or even receivede it. spokeswoman Sandra Sims also wouldn’yt comment. The 273-bed Deaconess, with 360 full-tims employees, is part of , which operateas long-term care facilities. The hospital had a net operatin lossof $13.1 million in 2008 on net revenur of $49.9 million.
Meanwhile, is clos to a debt refinancing that could pave the way for it to affiliater with alarger partner. The hospitalk is approved for a $400 million municipal pool with , said Andy Clinton Memorial’s CEO. He’s waitin to find out the termx and to receive a letterof credit. He expectx further word in two tothrere weeks. Clinton Memorial’s $40 millionn in debt has been a barrier as it seeks an The 95-bed, county-owned institution, which has been losing money for several years, issued an RFP in TriHealth has had the most serious talks with the but Christ Hospital and Ketteringy Health Network also have had In the hospital world, $40 million mighr not be a huge amount.
“But in today’sd market,” Riddell said, “even a dollar’w worth of debt makes people look Withthe refinance, Clintonm Memorial hopes to save as much as $1.9 Riddell hopes to have a mergef or affiliation in place by Recently announced layoffs of 8,000 peopl by package-carrier and local partner in Wilmington are a big worrg for the hospital. But Riddell said Clinton Memorial’s situation is not all In thefirst quarter, admissions were up 17 percen compared with 2008 and total patient service revenue was up 9.4 Still, total operating expenses exeeded revenue by nearly $200,000.

Raleigh firm pays $50M for unit of a Canadian company - Triangle Business Journal:

http://motogpix.com/2009/07/friday-free-practice-grand-prix-of-great-britain-2009-motogp/
Raleigh-based INC manages clinical trials for pharmaceutical Withthe deal, INC gaina the Phase II through Phase IV operations of , a businesse unit of MDS that employs about 800 people INC says the acquisition will deepejn its therapeutic expertise in vaccine, cardiovascular and endocrinology whild adding to the company’s presencew in emerging markets such as South America, the Asia Pacific region and Africa.
“This acquisitiomn reinforces our long-standing commitment at INC Researchn to continuously improve service in areas most important to ourcustomers – therapeutic expertise, talenf and experience, and a broader geographic footprint,” INC CEO Jim Ogle said in a INC says the acquisition will expandd its global footprint to nearlh 2,000 employees and operations in 40 countries. INC employs aboug 420 in Wake County. With the sale, MDS says it will now focuzs its efforts on drug discoveryg and earlystage development.
The deal is subject to customary approvals andclosing

UTMB wins community service award - Houston Business Journal:

http://www.psdrawing.com/cute_easter_wallpaper.html
The hospital is being recognized for itsinnovatived program, Continuum of Care: A Mentaol Health and Substance Abuse Modek for Galveston and Brazoria With the help of federal grant UTMB created an innovative partnership with other communitt and faith-based social services organizations to bring desperately needed mental health and substancw abuse services to adults and teens, therebt reducing their visits to UTMB emergency rooms. In one the savings amounted to nearly with potential savings estimatedat $3.7 million. "UTMB's prograkm is a stellar model for othed health care providersto follow," said Dr. Dan Stultz, presiden t and CEO of THA.
"B y filling the gap in mentak health services, UTMB has improved the quality of life for hundreds of while demonstrating cost savings over the long The award was presentedduring THA's 2007 Leadershipp Conference Oct. 16 in Austin.

American Airlines and American Eagle to Expand Los Angeles Service - Airlines and Destinations

http://nottedellataranta.net/?p=15

Los Angeles Times

American Airlines and American Eagle to Expand Los Angeles Service Airlines and Destinations To help handle the increase, American Eagle is expanding its terminal at LAX in a $20 million improvement effort. American' and Eagle's new destinations ... American Airlines Expands at LAX Los Angeles Business Journal American Airlines expands LA flight schedule BusinessWeek  »

Milwaukee-area housing values rebound - Kansas City Business Journal:

http://preservationchicago.org/chicago7/2005/warehouse.html
The quarterly report by titled “House Prices in America” indicateds that housing values in the Milwauke e areaaveraged $186,700 in the first quarter of 2009. The figurde represents a 2.1 percent rebound from the fourth quarter of when area housing values averaged according toadjusted estimates. Researchers estimate the firsty quarter 2009 figureis 2.4 perceng less than statistically normal house values, according to an analysi s that considers not only house pricex and interest rates, but household population densities, and any historical premiums or discounts metropolitan areas have exhibited over Officially, researchers do not consider the Milwaukede market "undervalued.
" Overvaluations or undervaluations were labels reserved only for valuesx that varied by 14 percent or more from what researchersx considered statistically normal house values. According to the IHS Milwaukee-area house values in the first quarter had been on the declin since a highof $189,700 in 2007. The 2009 figurwe was still less thanthe first-quartert 2006 valuation of $187,900.

William Boyd Printing site sold for $1.3M - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

oryucyjofec1482.blogspot.com
Ltd., an affiliate of Cos. in Clifton Park, closeds on the $1.3 million purchase on June 3. Cass Hill intend s to convert theformer 1.3-acre industrial site at 39-49o Sheridan Ave. into an office/retail/residentiak project. The property is located behindthe & Suites on Chapel Street, near the heart of the city’s entertainmenr district. Tony Sabatino of represented the seller. Cass Hill was representerd by Eileen Lindberg of Marc H. Paquin, president of Cass Hill Development couldn’t be reached for comment. Cass Hill owns severalp properties downtown, including a 30,000-square-footr office building on Monroe Street across from the formerfprinting plant.
Boyd Printing filed for Chaptetr 11 bankruptcy protection inSeptember 2005. A federao bankruptcy judge in March 2008 approved the sale of the building s to help satisfythe company’s debts. Some of the company’ss assets were purchased by Carl Johnson, an officed at Boyd Printing, who opened a separated corporation, Inc., in Colonie. Previouxs deals for the Sheridan Avenue property fizzled befores Cass Hill signed a purchase contracttlast year.

Roberts backs KU Cancer Center's push for NCI designation - Boston Business Journal:

wilhelminadora4287.blogspot.com
Roberts, R-Kan., spoke at The ’se Westwood medical building. He said that it now takes 10 yearzs to 17 yearsand $1 billion to bring a new drug to which Roberts called a “national disgrace.” The National Cancer Institute said in November that the KU Cancerr Center has a Sept. 25, 2011, applicationb date for its efforts to get aninitiao five-year designation as an NCI cancer center. The months-lont application process for institutions seeking new designations begins with submission of documentation that sometimeeexceeds 1,000 pages and includes a site visit and othefr steps. The earliest that KU Cancer Center’s applicatiobn could be approved is the springof 2012.
Nationwide, 64 cance centers receive Cancer Centerr Support Grants to support research to reducethe incidence, morbidithy and mortality rates of cancer. There are 23 cancer centers and 41 comprehensivecancef centers. The KU Cancer Center is part of , whicg is the medical research and education arm of the Universittof Kansas. NCI designation — KU’s No. 1 priority — typically is granted to academicmedical centers. Therefore, KU Medical Center is the entity that will apply forNCI designation. • Increaserd regional patient accessto cutting-edge clinical • More than $1.
3 billion in annual economicx benefits in the • An increase in KU Cancet Center’s annual NCI financing from the currentf $7.5 million to about $40 million. NCI-affiliatexd institutions also attract world-class researchers who bring NCI grants with and part of the estimated increase is based on Many of these researchers double as adding expertise and depth invarious cancer-cars sub-specialties.

Campaigning inside a polling place. Move along, citizens. Nothing to see here. - Las Vegas Review-Journal (blog)

ekaterinaiuvo.blogspot.com

FOXNews

Campaigning inside a polling place. Move along, citizens. Nothing to see here. Las Vegas Review-Journal (blog) You can read the details here and make up your own mind as to whether she did or didn't. As you do so, imagine what would happen to you if after you voted ... Sharron Angle and "Hatred" for Harry Reid TIME (blog) VoteVets for Reid Politico (blog)  »

SMF Energy announces $40M recapitalization - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

houghtalingbaemo1268.blogspot.com
The company (NASDAQ: FUEL) said in a news releas that it estimates the recapitalization will reducerits short-term debt by $9.5 million, its total debt by $4.4 millionj and its cash requirements for interesy and dividends by more than $1 millioh a year. It said shareholders' equitty has been increased by morethan $4 million as a result. SMF Energy said it extinguished all of itsexisting non-bank debt and outstandingh preferred stock through various agreementsz with dozens of existing debt and equity investors, whild converting its existing $25 million asset-based lending facility into a new, more favorable, three-year, $20 millio asset-based lending facility and a $5 million, 60-month amortized term loan, the proceeds of which were used to pay down $4.
8678 million in secured notes and $125,000 in unsecure notes. The company said it issuee new stock to make up the balance paid for the cancellationm and extinguishment of theexistingb investors' debt and equity securities. Fort Lauderdale-basexd SMF Energy said in the release that the recapitalizatiobn took place with amended agreements withand . It said the only non-banjk debt incurred in the recapitalization was an unsecured subordinatede promissory noteof $800,000 at 5.5 percentr interest issued to an existing institutionak investor in exchange for $800,000 of one of the Augustg 2007 11 percent senior secured convertible promissort notes.
The institutional investor alsoexchanged $200,00o0 of the same secured note for sharesz of common stock price at 38 cents a share, which was greater than the closin g bid price of the stocok on the day before the effective acted as SMF Energy’s placement agent for the recapitalizationn and received fees of $380,000, paid with a combination of cash and pursuant to a Feb. 1 investmentf banking agreement. SMF Energy supplies specialized transportation and distribution services for petroleun productsand chemicals. It provides commercial mobile andbulk fueling, alont with other services to the transportation, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications and government services sectors.
Formerlgy known as , as of Nov. 30, it conducte operations through 31 service locations in 11 Shares closed down nearly 3 cents to aboutf35 cents. The 52-week high was 71 cents on Aug. 28. The 52-weekj low was 10 cents on Feb. 20.

InFocus buyer known for innovation, turnarounds - Portland Business Journal:

http://keiraforever.net/photos
What he isn’t — and won’t likely be at InFocu s — is a pillager, taking controkl just to strip awaythe company’s assets. “I would look back and see what he’sx done in the past. He’s not a slash and burn liquidation guy,” said J.D. an InFocus board member and independent consultantto Boston-base equity management firm LLC. “That’s He’s looking to try to grow somethingb and turnsomething around.” Wilsonville-based InFocus, a pioneer in digital projection technology, on Monday announced its board had agreed to a $39 million acquisition by , a newly-formef holding company controlled by Lap Shun (John) Hui.
The Californiq tech entrepreneur will take InFocus private and keep it in but has thus far said very littles about his plans for the Inan e-mail, Hui politely declined an interview requesr until after the acquisition closes, which is expectede in the second quarter. Hui is knowm mostly as principal founderof computer-maker Inc, which, in recognizinfg the potential of discount PCs, raised it from its infanc to a company with revenue exceeding $1 In a situation that somewhat parallels with he took eMachines — which went public on the Nasdaq exchangw in 2000 — private in December 2001 in a deal valueed at $152 million.
Less than threed years later, he sold eMachineds to Gateway Inc. in a roughly $290 milliob cash and stock deal. After being rebuffed in a 2006 attempyt to acquire Gatewayfor $450 million, Hui acquired a 75 percenf stake in Dutch computer maker for an undisclosedf amount, though some published reports called it a $90 milliojn deal. A year he sold his controlling interest in Packarf Bell to Gateway for anundisclosex amount. Hui’s current venturews include Fugoo, a start-up with fellow eMachinesx alums that is developing a product that will enable household appliances and other products to communicate via the is a partner inthe venture.
At leasgt publicly, it’s unclear what Hui plana to dowith InFocus. Company executives are saying little in the wayof forward-lookingg statements until the deal is sealed. In e-mails to both employeesd and InFocus partners, CEO Bob O’Malley lauded Hui’w tech industry experience and historyof “lendinf his personal credit, channel relationships and suppl y chain knowledge to his family of companies.” “j believe that this offer not only delivers a compellinfg value to our current shareholders, the partnershi p with Mr.
Hui also creates cleae and incremental value forInFocusw customers, suppliers and employees,” O’Malley said in the Abouchar believes Hui will broaden InFocus’ product portfolio beyond just That could include specialty displayas for conference rooms. InFocus is considered a pioneerd in digital projection technology and was firsg to market with innovative digital But its success encouraged a flood of Asian including huge, multi-product companies such as and , that drovwe projector prices lower. Just four years ago InFocus, celebrating its firsg year of profitability, ended 2004 with earnings of $7.6 million on $649 million in revenue and a share priceof $9.61.
But after four straighf years of losses, its revenue last year plummeterdto $255.7 million. Meanwhile, InFocus was consuming it was downto $33 millionj at the end of after ending 2007 with $84 million. Its sharew price ended the year at 79 cents and as of Wednesda held at91 cents.

Pfaff appointed to Wisconsin USDA post - Business First of Louisville:

erofeyporgrinin.blogspot.com
The Farm Service Agency works to increase economic opportunity and improves the quality of life forrural Americans. “Bra Pfaff has a solid understanding of the challengeas and opportunities facing our rurap communities and will help build on theObamza administration’s efforts to rebuild and revitalize rural said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Since Pfaff has been a policy adviserto U.S. Representativw Ron Kind. He had previously worked on Sen. Herb Kohl’d state staff performing constituent outreach.
Pfaf now provides guidance on agricultural and naturaplresource issues, convenes listening sessions with agriculturalo producers and commodity groups, and has contributed to farm bill and dairhy legislation. Some of the Farm Service Agency’s effortsa include providing direct operatingy loans forfarm equipment, seed and fertilizer, as well as rura l housing loans to help rural peoples buy, build or rent housing.

Hot air: Watch party? Not quite - Dallas Morning News

evlampiyacyxybyw.blogspot.com

Washington Post

Hot air: Watch party? Not quite D »

Nike exec withdraws from consideration for Obama post - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://pokermyjob.com/poker-news/2.html
But acting AmeriCorps CEO Nicky in a letter posted to the AmeriCorpsd Website Friday, said the White Housd sent notice of Eitel’as withdrawal. “Our thoughts are with Maria as she focusexs on herpersonal health,” Goren “Finding leadership for the Corporatio continues to be a very high prioritty for the White House.” In April, Obama said Eite l offered “a unique blend of skills and management at a time when his administration was expandingg the nation’s public service programs.
On the same day he announcedd Eitel as a candidate forthe job, Obama signed the Serve America Act, a vast expansion of federap social service programs that includes increasing AmeriCorp’sw available service positions from 75,000 to 250,000. Eitel is currentlu a Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) vice presidenft and president of the Nike the Washington County athleti capparel giant’s charitable arm. Before headingv the foundation, she was Nike’s first vice president for corporate responsibility. Prior to joining Nike, she was Europeam corporate affairs group manager for Microsoft and has also worked for the Corporationj for Public Broadcasting and MCICommunicationws Corp.
This would have been Eitel’s seconxd presidential assignment. She served undeer President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1992 as deputty director of media relation s and later as special assistant to the presideny formedia affairs.

Duke ordered to shut Indiana units - Business First of Louisville:

http://scaredonline.com/pages.php?cID=2&pID=6
The move follows a jury ruling last year thatthe plant’ws previous owner, ., violated federal emissionds standards after it refurbished the unit without a permit. N.C.-based Duke (NYSE: DUK) bought Cincinnati-baserd Cinergy in April 2006 for $9 At the time of last year’s Duke proposed that units 2, 3 and 5 be retiredf in 2012, when the company’s new integrated gasification combined-cycle plantt in Edwardsport, Ind., comes on line. The court’s order accelerate s that timetable bythree years. Shutting down units 2, 3 and 5 will removee a combined capacity of265 megawatts.
That is 39 perceny of the station’s 677-megawatt power-generating The units affected bythe judge’s decision are more than 50 yearws old, said Jim Turner, presidentr and chief operating officer of Duke’s franchised electricf and gas segment. He said the order shoul d not impactthe company’s operations this year because of changes Duke already had made followingg a jury’s verdict last year. Duke includes the former CincinnatiGas & Electric Co., Uniom Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky, and in Indiana.
The companyt also operates Duke Power inthe

Soft 2008 residential real estate market costs brokerages millions in lost sales - Wichita Business Journal:

badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com
The soft residential real estate brokers say, is the result of dwindling consumefr confidence and tighter credit requirements from mortgag lenders that made it more difficult for some buyerss to obtain financing something that hasn’t changed. Home appraisers also have been “The pendulum always swings one waytoo far. I thinkk that’s probably what we’ll see over the next few saysWayne Short, owner of . But at leasr one local company saw its 2008 numbers increased its residential salesvolume 2.9 percent, from $109 million to $112.3 million, a boost the company’se CEO Tim Holt says was the result of increased production, especially in the high-end market.
“Our agentzs were working pretty hard,” Holt “We had better production than theyear Overall, brokerages still are experiencing down numberas through the first half of 2009. some say the market is showing signs of Tax creditsfor first-timr home buyers, lower prices and attractive mortgage rates are helping drive pending sales of existing homes — contracts signed, but not closed. In pending sales climbed 6.7 according to the , posting its fourth increasde nationally in the lastfive months. And May figuresw look to be up, too. “We certainlh hope it is an indication that the markegt is heading in theright direction,” says Willi e Kihle, president of .
Meanwhile, brokerages are tryin g to offset losses insales • retained its hold on the top marke share, but lost 14.8 percent, or $79.8 million in totalk residential sales. The company’s 2008 figures totaler $453.4 million, according to WBJ data. “The bottomk line is, through April, the board is down aboug 27 percent,” says Nestor Weigand, the company’a chief executive. However, the company’s market shared has increased 3.5 percent, which Weigand “is huge in the real estate • Prudential ranks No. 2 on the WBJ list with $397. 2 million in 2008 residential sales, down 9.
1 percent from the year “In general, the economy certainly has an effecton (the housin market),” Kihle says. As aircraft plants announced layoffsx people became increasingly worried about losing thei jobsand weren’t interested in buying a new Kihle says. • Sales volume at droppedd 11.1 percent. Frank Stucky, Coldwell’sd CEO, says the downturn the rest of the country startesd experiencing months earlier finally made its way tothe “We’ve been able to buck the trenx to be down less than other companies and less than the nationalp average,” Stucky says. • Re/Max took one of the larges t hits of all of theWichita companies, dropping 26.
5 percenrt from $178.9 million in 2007 to $131.54 million in 2008. Short says dwindling consumefr confidence was only a portion ofhis company’zs trouble during 2008. The firm for yearsx had benefited from a grou p of California investors buying rental homes in But as the housing marke t soured on thewest coast, thos e investors stopped buying. “That market is dead Short says.

Penguins - Red Wings Stanley Cup games provide boost for hotels, restaurants - Pittsburgh Business Times:

borislavamcoc.blogspot.com
According to VisitPittsburgh, each home game betweebn the and the Detroit Red Wings brings anestimated $4.9 millionb in economic impact, whether its from hotel stays, meals at restaurants or other spending. A number of hotels are fullyt booked, including the Omni William Penn, whicn hosts the NHL’s management, the , with the caveat that it alwayx sells out Tuesdays and Wednesdays anyway tobusinessd travelers, and the . Tom Martini, the general managed for the Westin Convention Center located Downtown, described the added boost of Stanley Cup-relatedr guests. “We would’ve been busy but we wouldn’tf have been selling out,” he said.
“Thies has allowed us to fill up theentires hotel, all 616 rooms.” Martini and other hotel operatorzs emphasized the added jolt of unexpected business comes during an otherwiswe down year from hotel business followinf a strong 2008, which also featured a Penguins-Red Wingd Stanley Cup that was lost by Pittsburgh’s favoritw flightless birds. Bob Page, the area directo r of sales and marketingfor Omni, said the NFL’es coterie of league officials, along with media, has brought an increasre in occupancy beyond the two game days, comparablw to the business generated from a stronhg home playoff run by the , although not toppinb it.
“It’s not to the degree of probablyg theAFC championship, but it’s stilp great business for us,” he said. “It’as selling us out.” The story is a littlee more complicated for local restaurantsand bars. John owner of The Common Plea, located estimated the restaurant has seen a 25 percentr increase when the Penguins are playing playoff gamezsin town. But when the team is playing away, the hockey fan diners stay away. “We’ve seen increases when they’rd here,” said Barsotti, who estimated his 2009 businesx is up by 25 percen overlast year, despite the recession.
“But on the opposite we see a little bit of a decrease when they go out of Chris Dilla, owner of Bocktown Beer and in North Fayette, said it can be tricky for her operatiojn to jump from a busy night of a hockeyg game to extra slow nights when therw isn’t one. She expects that plenty of customere are struggling to go the distance withthe seven-gam e series. “It’s hard for the business becausspeople don’t have the money to be out every othert night,” she said.
“It tendse to be that people who watch the playoffs reallty have to watchtheir